NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Jared Rhoden scored 18 points, Alexis Yetna had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and No. 21 Seton Hall pulled away in the second half for an 84-70 win over Bethune-Cookman on Sunday.
Bethune-Cookman had a 34-33 lead at halftime, but Rhoden's jumper a minute into the second half gave Seton Hall (5-1) the lead for good and started a 9-0 run. The Pirates stretched their advantage to as much as 23 points.
Joe French scored 28 points for the Wildcats (1-6), and Marcus Garrett and Tyrese Samuel each scored 11.
Bethune-Cookman went on a 9-0 run to end the first half, keeping it close thanks in part to Seton Hall's poor outside shooting. The Pirates went 3-for-17 from 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes but made 5 of 12 3s in the second half.
Seton Hall won the rebounding battle 42-24.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Seton Hall entered the AP Top 25 last week, its first appearance in the poll since the end of the 2019-20 season, thanks largely to a win over then-No. 4 Michigan on Nov. 16. The Pirates lost their first game at the Fort Myers Tip-Off, 79-76 to Ohio State, before defeating California 62-59 on Wednesday night. They are likely to remain ranked.
BIG PICTURE
Bethune-Cookman: The Wildcats' out-of-conference schedule is full of superior opponents. They have another month to figure things out before Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play begins.
Seton Hall: After a productive two weeks on the road, Sunday's game began a five-game homestand that concludes with a visit from No. 8 Texas and a rivalry game against Rutgers. The Pirates will cap off nonconference play when they face Iona in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden.
UP NEXT
Bethune-Cookman: At UCF next Sunday.
Seton Hall: Hosts Wagner on Wednesday.
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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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